you sure that looks chinese or japanese hue hue hue :D even i'm not that sure but rope design really makes me feel japanese much, blame naruto and street fighter Akuma or Gouken. :P
use braid then will be more suitable it think, better avoid that Japan rope design or else really can divert people think that is japanese design. well at least for me.
that rope stuff called 中国结 / chinese knotting. they use for decorative. absolutely not related with rope. talk about rope (thick one), Japanese got use it most of the time related with shine/ temple... so you can see usually it serve as seal of divine from ghost / demon (whatever it called)... you even can see lotsa design…